Beauty quests looking more attractive

Page Tools

When Donald Trump bought the Miss Universe pageant, many
questioned why the New York property developer and one of the
world's richest businessmen was prepared to spend tens of millions
of dollars on an ageing beauty contest.

Mr Trump, who bought the pageant as well as the Miss USA and
Miss Teen contests in 1996, ordered a much-needed makeover for the
53-year-old event. He sold half his share to the CBS television
network, securing a worldwide television audience of about 3
billion. In four years, by Mr Trump's estimate, he made $US100
million ($A130 million) from the revived pageant.

Although in America beauty pageants are profitable, over the
past decade in Australia they have been losing money. (The Miss
Australia Quest was canned five years ago when it became too costly
to run.) But in the wake of last year's crowning of Australia's
Jennifer Hawkins as Miss Universe, organisers of the country's two
remaining national contests have reported an upsurge in interest
and the emergence of new sponsorship opportunities.

The number of women reaching the Miss Universe state finals
across Australia has tripled since 2003, when there were 97
entrants compared with this year's 307. Many of the thousands who
applied were not even interviewed, and only 24 made the national
final.

This year's Australian winner, Perth university student Michelle
Guy, is in Bangkok preparing for the international final on
Tuesday. West Australian co-ordinator, businessman and long-time
beauty pageant judge Jonathan Westbrook, is bidding for the licence
to hold the final in Perth next year. He says Miss Universe's
vice-president, Tony Santomauro, has indicated that he wants
Australia to host the event. Mr Westbrook is liaising with the West
Australian Government and with local government for funding.

Miss World Australia chairwoman Pauline McFetridge also reports
a resurgence in interest in the past 12 months, with about 500
entrants this year. She has begun charging women $100 to enter the
state-based competitions.

Deborah Miller, Miss Universe Victorian co-ordinator and owner
of the Melbourne modelling agency Cosmopolitan Model Management,
jumped at the chance to give her agency and models exposure. Every
year Ms Miller enters five to eight models from her agency (she
denies that there is a conflict of interest), and usually one or
two make the national final.

She says she has not made money so far, but believes that may
soon change. "Next year we hope to make it bigger in Victoria," she
says. "I could develop it into a huge event where I could sell
tickets and get sponsorship."

Miss Universe Australia's national co-ordinator, Jim Davie, has
managed the business for 13 years and says he has lost more than
$600,000 in that time.

Mr Davie, who also imports women's swimwear and athletic
clothing, says the cost of running the pageant is between $100,000
and $150,000 a year - made up of air fares, accommodation, meals
and production costs. "But the potential here has improved
enormously as a result of Jennifer Hawkins' win, and we are already
seeing this, with several interested parties contacting us," he
says.